I leave on May 1st form Lands End, 10 days and just a touch over 1000 miles. It’s been about a year in the planning and a lifelong held dream but as the date draws closer I’m starting to get more wobbly.

I’m sure there will be a few on here who have done it (and other much longer tours) so let me have your thoughts and experiences.

I’ll be B&Bing, and travelling fairly lightly with 1 pannier.

Ian

Take your time each day and enjoy it, you’ve got all day! Try to get in a cafe stop as well for lunch; breaks up the day.

Oh and don’t take too much stuff!

Here’s some photos to wet your appetite: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150979015111405.472084.515091404&type=1&l=5cfe666d39

Good luck!

I did it a couple of years ago but as a Ride Leader/Chaperone for the Deloitte Ride Across Britain. Interesting experience but it meant I was working to someone else’s route and schedule and as I was supposed to be looking after other riders there were very limited chances to actually visit anywhere.

Couple of points though…
Get on the road early. Gives a bit more leeway in your timings.
Don’t take too much stuff.
Wash your kit each night – don’t ever be tempted to use a pair of shorts two days in a row!
Make a note of where on the route you can find bike shops.
Wherever possible stick to the quieter roads.

Have you already booked accommodation? Having done it where you absolutely had to get to that evening’s campsite no matter what I’d be tempted to run a more flexible arrangement. Nothing worse than being delayed by bad weather/mechanicals etc and knowing that you still have 40 miles to do in the dark/rain to reach that night’s pre-booked accommodation. I’d set off with an idea of where you expect/want to end up then see how the day progresses. Make a call on it at lunchtime, find a B&B in your chosen destination, phone and book.

Some days you might have a nice tailwind, good weather etc and be able to go much further than originally planned, some days you just want to stop and have done with it for the night so that gives you the options to fit that in. 10 days is a good time to do it in – much more and you tend to get bored of having to ride, much less and you end up rushing through places without the time to stop and admire the scenery.

Enjoy it is meant to be a holiday. Lots of good stops, chocolate bars etc. And wash your kit every day. Beg for use of a washing machine – stuff comes out drier!!

Don’t forget you can ride over the old Severn Bridge and the Wye valley is lovely. Take/buy paper maps. It gives you scale and options you don’t get with sat nav.

Thanks Amit, some great pics there and you seem to have been lucky with the weather.

Crazy-Legs. Some good points, thank you. I’ve pre booked B&Bs for the first 5 days but then left the rest to build in some flexibility for tiredness, weather, mechanicals etc. Also the route that I am taking should go to Aaron for an island hop but hat might have to change if the weather isn’t kind.

Thanks again both.

Jogled in 07

Straight back from a rtw trip and living out of my van at the time.

No planning and a very relaxed approach ( bought the map at first petrol station upon leaving john O groats.

Some great advice so far esp the minimal kit and not wearing stuff twice!

Don’t spoil your journey by having constraints/ too much structure.

It’s a fabulous ‘journey’

Had a great time a number of years ago. Took a long relaxed road route and I recommend that rather than fast roads with loads of traffic. You,re probably only going to do it once in your life and certainly not going to break any of the records that are out there so you may as we’ll enjoy it rather than battle a roads all day
Diary and route

You do have up and down times. Both physically and mentally I found. Great thing with going with a mate was he was strong when I found it tough and vv. if you’re on your own just be aware and don’t set impossible targets. On that note Cornwall and Devon is hard if you’re carrying weight in panniers as the short steep nature of the hills just kills momentum. Once you get up to the lakes/peaks/Scotland you,re dead fit and the longer shallower hills are no problem at all.

Have fun it is a great adventure.

Don’t forget you can ride over the old Severn Bridge and the Wye valley is lovely. Take/buy paper maps. It gives you scale and options you don’t get with sat nav.

+1 for this. Buy paper maps en route then post them to your home address when you run off the map – saves carrying them! Another option is to buy a decent road map (one that shows all the country lanes but without all the stupid speed camera icons everywhere…), cut out the pages that you are going to need and carry those.

Cracking idea Shortcut/C-L. I will be using a Garmin Tourer but want back up paper maps so will by a road atlas, cut it up and laminate the pages.

Jogle back in 95. I took the CTC route printout and a pocket atlas shoved into my back pocket and just winged it. Took one spare set of riding clothes and nothing else – in a rucksack which was a bad idea.
I took a wrong turn in the highlands and went through callander rather than loch Lomond, which caused angst at the time, but was beautiful and probably quieter on the roads.
Took 14 days to do it and was very bored by the end!

LEJOG last July in 9 days. Was fabulous. A couple of lows but far far outweighed by the highs. As others have said it’s a great adventure.

I’ve done it twice, once using your method. My advice is to go West in Scotland up via the Islands (Aran. Mull, Skye) then up to Tongue and cut across. Avoid the horrid tourist roads up from Fort William.

Also top tip. In the B&B get in the shower with your kit on and wash it on your body, then take it off and stamp out the rest of the dirt, dry it by wrapping it in a towel (you usually get 2) and twisting it till all the moisture comes out. Using this method I managed on one set of kit only.

The CTC has a specific forum board for LEJOG/JOGLE stuff:
http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewforum.php?f=22&sid=45533a9174a0a1fc5f4ea95a686b2b14

For some unaccountable reason, everyone seems to go up the A9 from Perth to JOG.

Don’t. It’s shit.

A much better option is the final stage of the Deloitte route:
http://www.rideacrossbritain.com/2014-ride/the-route/day-9/

which has the added advantage that you can pop up to Dunnet Head (just past Thurso) which is the furthest northerly point on the GB mainland.

What are you doing when you get to JOG, is someone meeting you there or are you turning round and riding to Wick for a train? JOG’s sole reason for existing seems to be catering for LEJOGers; it has a Starbucks AND a Costa and **** all else apart from a tourist tat shop. Although I believe the hotel there has now been refurbished and there are also some eco-pod type huts now should you wish to stay the night.

dry it by wrapping it in a towel (you usually get 2) and twisting it till all the moisture comes out.

Top tip 🙂 I used this method when I rode from Dover to Durness (the opposite diagonal to LeJOG) and it works a treat!

C-L I have adjusted the route to take in Tongue and the coastal road so big thanks for that.

Dave, I wil be visiting Arran as you suggested some months ago. It is planned as my “Queen” stage! I like the top tip about showering in cycling gear and drying in towel, I shall give it a try.

Anyone have any idea on what bike spares/tools I should take?

Ian

Having been pointed at it earlier today myself, this may be of use when you get to JOG

http://www.johnogroatsbiketransport.co.uk/

Didn’t have a single puncture but

– two tubes
-patches
– chain tool
-pump
– zip ties
-multi tool

That’s it really

Anyone have any idea on what bike spares/tools I should take?

I would carry the following:-

-two packs of scab patches + a puncture repair kit
-two spare tubes
-a tyre boot, or a small section of tyre cut from an old one
-spare chain links + split links
-various cable ties
-gaffer tape (wind 2 metres around your seatpost)
-multi-tool MAKE SURE the chain tool works, I got caught out when mine proved too feeble
-small pocket knife
-small bottle of lube
-a cloth to wipe the bike over
-pocket pump
-VAR tyre lever, nothing else comes close
-spoke spanner MAKE SURE it fits your nipples
-a big needle (to poke thorns out of tyres)

This lot got me through two tours, you could add spare spokes, gear cables etc.. but if you’re in this much grief taxi to bike shop might be a better option.

Oh and packs of biros, pencils and stickers…

If you’re planning to pass through the North West!?

The kids love them .

brack – Member
Oh and packs of biros, pencils and stickers…

If you’re planning to pass through the North West!?

The kids love them .

POSTED 31 SECONDS AGO # REPORT-POST

😆

Brilliant I did it back in 2009, my few pearls of wisdom are Assos shorts/longs two sets clean one each day and chamois cream and as soon as you stop riding for the day have yourself a recovery drink of some sort, I used Guinness in copious amounts and give your legs a massage yourself before you shower down at the end of the days riding to prevent any muscle soreness the next day.
I am genuinely jealous I would do it again in a heartbeat if I had the opportunity!
We did a scenic quieter route over 935 miles and a very small section of random motorway outside Glasgow when we went wrong on the maps! 😆